'It's just a tragic incident all around'

The “Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides” list presents a showcase of songs that, for various reasons, could be argued to have become bigger than the A-Sides. Two factors went into consideration here. The first was chart success. If the B-Side ranked higher on the charts than the A-Side, then arguably, the B-Side was more successful than the A-Side. However, not all of our B-Side picks indeed charted higher. That brings us to criterion number two. Some of these B-Sides just simply became more loved, more respected, more cherished, or however you want to describe them when compared The post Ten B-Sides That Became Bigger Than The A-Sides appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

In what seems to be a never-before-seen phenomenon among the species, a white-tailed eagle couple has skipped this year’s breeding season in order to care for a juvenile who broke a wing. Hatching in April, unseasonably wild weather blew an eaglet from its nest on the Isle of Mull during the July fledging season. Its […] The post Eagle Parents Spend Year Nursing Chick Who Fell Out of a Tree, Forsaking the New Nesting Season appeared first on Good News Network.

The post Cat Vaccination: How I Balance the Risks & Benefits by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles. You might assume that as a vet, I have a pretty rigid stance on vaccination, but just like you, I want to make sure that the choices I make are based on facts and science, and are right for my cats, and my situation. In veterinary practice, our recommendations need to be in keeping with the manufacturer guidelines; it simply isn’t practical to have a multitude of different options for a multitude of different scenarios. With that in mind, there are three messages I would like all cat owners to take home: Vaccination ABSOLUTELY saves lives. YOU have the final say on how often and what your cats are vaccinated against (with the exception of rabies). Your decisions about vaccination should be based on FACTS, not FEARMONGERING. I often get asked “Is vaccination safe?” and the honest answer is that introducing a foreign agent into the body to elicit an immune response is not 100% safe, but it is much safer than leaving your pet exposed to the risks of contracting deadly viruses. So you might want to know: Do I vaccinate my cats? Yes. Do I strictly adhere to the manufacturer guidelines? Not completely. Am I aware that I am taking a risk by deviating from those guidelines? Yes, but I base my decision on the risk factors for my specific situation. If you’d like to know what influences my decisions about vaccinating my cats, we’ll need to get some of the nitty gritty stuff out of the way. Trust me, you’ll come away feeling a lot more confident about making the right choices for your cats with a bit more knowledge under your belt. Cyril contemplates the risks that lie beyond the window. How Does Vaccination Work – In a Nutshell The practice of exposing humans, and later, animals, to a small dose of an infectious agent to trigger an immune response dates back to at least the mid 15th century, possibly even earlier than that. When Smallpox was busy wiping out hundreds of millions of people around the world, a process called variolation emerged, where a small amount of the fluid from a smallpox lesion was injected into a healthy human. This was a risky procedure as the chances of developing a fulminant case of smallpox were extremely high, but it did start to prove that a small dose of the virus could create enough of an immune response to render the patient immune. But it wasn’t until a man named Dr Edward Jenner (honestly, you can’t go anywhere without hearing about a Jenner these days!) discovered that the same immune response could be achieved by using cowpox – a related but much safer poxvirus. How does it work? When a virus enters the body, it triggers the immune system to release pathogen-fighting cells like neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes (T cells and B cells). After a while, the body starts producing lymphocytes that are more specifically adapted to fighting the viral particles, resulting in a faster, stronger attack. If the virus is successfully killed, the bone marrow keeps producing cells that can target that particular virus, called memory B and T cells. These memory cells may last for months, a few years, or a lifetime, depending on the virus and the individual. The problem with relying on our natural immune response to a virus is that it’s a game of chance. We only develop a natural immunity if we survive, and we may end up with long term or permanent health consequences from the infection. This is where vaccination comes in. A vaccine uses an inactive version of the virus to ‘trick’ the immune system into producing an immune reaction and creating memory cells, without causing the actual infection. This often results in the patient feeling unwell or showing some mild symptoms of the virus, but this is simply a sign of the immune system responding. Here’s where it gets a bit more technical. In order to trigger a good enough response to the inactivated virus, most vaccines contain something called an adjuvant. This adjuvant is what really fires up the immune system, making sure it gets to the stage of making memory cells, and it is the body’s response to this adjuvant that usually creates the majority of side effects. But, the more powerfully the body responds, the more likely it is to create a good supply of memory cells, so that the next time the body encounters the virus, it can fight it off quickly and efficiently. Zelda staying safe indoors The Biggest Issue With Feline Vaccination Just like with humans, cats often suffer from various side effects of vaccination, including lethargy, fever, or swelling. It might be unpleasant for a day or two, but it is an expected reaction. True adverse vaccine reactions, where the injection triggers an extreme allergic or systemic reaction, are very rare. The worst potential side effect to vaccination in cats is something called an injection site sarcoma – a type of malignant tumor that can form where a vaccination has been given. This nasty tumor requires aggressive treatment, including surgical removal of the mass. Feline vaccines are traditionally given in the scruff, because there is lots of loose skin, so it is much easier to inject, as well as more comfortable and less stressful for the cat. But if an injection site sarcoma grows in this location, it is difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove the tumor as it often extends to the spine. To combat this, it has been recommended that cats be vaccinated over a limb, as this would allow amputation if needed to completely remove the cancer. But, the lower down the limb we go, the less loose skin there is, and the more painful and stressful the injection becomes, so it can be a bit of a case of weighing up the risks and benefits, as well as finding other ways to reduce the chance of this effect. Studies have found that the Feline Leukemia Virus Vaccine appears to have a higher risk of inducing a sarcoma, possibly due to the fact that the virus itself attacks the bone marrow and immune system. One method to reduce risk is giving leukemia vaccines every 3 years, rather than annually. One company has created a non-adjuvanted vaccine, in the hopes that this will result in less intense side effects, but this vaccine does not give a long-lasting protection as ones that contain an adjuvant, so it is supposed to be given annually. Risk/Benefit Analysis This is where your decision-making comes into play. You need to be aware, and honest, about the sort of risks your cats face, and talk to your vet about how to make sure they stay protected. Cats in breeding colonies, shelter conditions, or that live outdoors with a higher risk of interacting with other cats, should be vaccinated against leukemia virus according to the manufacturer recommendation. For cats living indoors, once they have received a complete primary vaccination course, and I generally recommend that they have their kitten course, plus one a year after, you may want to think about whether or not they need to continue with this particular vaccination. While viruses like cat flu can be transmitted through the air and on surfaces, the leukemia virus requires direct cat-to-cat contact. If you do decide to go down the route of not vaccinating against leukemia virus, it is vital that you ensure any new cats entering your home have had either a complete vaccination course, or have been tested for the virus before coming into contact with your cat. My cats are 100% indoor, and are no longer vaccinated against leukemia virus – they have zero risk of exposure. I do, however, vaccinate them against the cat flu viruses every three years. You might be wondering, Why risk using the leukemia vaccine at all?  When a cat becomes infected with feline leukemia, there is a window of time where, if the virus is successfully eliminated, the cat will survive and have gained natural immunity – Yay! BUT, we don’t know exactly how long that immunity lasts, AND if the virus is not eliminated within that window of time, the cat will develop feline leukemia, a debilitating disease that often leads to suffering and death. A few statistics: Around 3% of cats in the United States and Canada are infected with feline leukemia. Feline leukemia is fatal in 80-90% of cases. The incidence of injection site sarcoma is between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 30,000 (0.1 to 0.003%). Protecting our pets has to be priority #1. Are vaccines safe? Of course they’re not completely safe – we are manipulating the immune system with an artificially altered version of a virus. Does that sound safe to you? But it’s a hell of a lot safer than taking our chances of surviving the actual virus. The fact is, if we are putting something into the body to elicit a reaction, side effects are inevitable. If a drug or vaccine claims to have zero side effects, it probably doesn’t have any therapeutic effects either. I hate that we live in a world where big pharmaceutical companies profit from disease, and I think that we’re right to do our own research and ask questions. BUT, the fact that big pharma makes money from vaccination, does not mean that vaccination is bad. Is it really crappy that there are people that stand to make billions from every viral outbreak? Absolutely! But that shouldn’t mean that we stop protecting our pets. Natural immunity might work, but it only works if your cat survives. The post Cat Vaccination: How I Balance the Risks & Benefits by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

News Captain America: Brave New World Captain America: Brave New World Trailer Gives Us Harrison Ford, a Flying Sam Wilson & Other Teases Plus one extra smashing appearance… By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 12, 2024 Credit: Eli Adé/Marvel Studios Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Eli Adé/Marvel Studios With Deadpool & Wolverine ‘s potentially big R-rated opening looming in a couple of weeks, could the Marvel Cinematic Universe be on the cusp of a comeback? The studio is poised to have a big presentation at San Diego Comic-Con later this month as well, and to prime the pump before then, today Marvel released the first teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World. The clip not only gives us our first look at Harrison Ford taking over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross after actor William Hurt sadly passed away, but also a quick glimpse of the character’s Red Hulk persona. But wait, there’s more! We see Giancarlo Esposito’s character doing bad things, and Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson butting heads with Harrison’s President, who wants to militarize Captain America. One scene shows Wilson adding his Falcon wings to the suit, reminding us that he isn’t Steve Rogers’ version of the superhero. The trailer is light on plot, but it is a teaser trailer, after all. And a good one at that! Kudos to the editor who took Sam throwing the shield and morphed it into part of the White House getting destroyed. Here’s the synopsis for Brave New World, per Marvel Studios: After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red. In addition to Mackie and Ford, the movie stars Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, the aforementioned, always welcome Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, and Tim Blake Nelson. It’s directed by Cloverfield Paradox filmmaker Julius Onah. Captain America: Brave New World premieres in theaters on February 14, 2025. Check out the trailer below. [end-mark] The post <i>Captain America: Brave New World</i> Trailer Gives Us Harrison Ford, a Flying Sam Wilson & Other Teases appeared first on Reactor.

Well, President Joe Biden checked another catastrophe off his campaign bucket list – a solo press conference. This came after a full day of whoopsies at the NATO Summit. First,  can we please address the fact that President Biden’s own camp referred to last night’s debacle as his “big boy” press conference? Does anyone else have visions of potty training or moving from a crib to a toddler bed when they hear that moniker? Why in the world would his own people call it that? He’s allegedly the leader of the free world but there they are, gushing about big boy press conferences. I hope he was treated to some ice cream and maybe even a cookie before he was hustled off to bed. A late start It didn’t do him any favors that the conference, originally scheduled for 5:30, got pushed back to 7:30. Perhaps he needed time to recover after introducing Ukrainian President Zelensky as Russian President Putin. You know, the dude bombing the snot out of Zelensky’s country.  (Biden explained during his press conference. “I had like five names…anyway….) Perhaps they needed to sort out the medications they used to make him appear more awake and alert. Who knows? The press conference started off reasonably strong but soon careened off the rails. His preplanned speech wasn’t the worst he’s ever delivered but if you weren’t screaming Hatch Act at the television like one of my friends, you weren’t paying attention. The topic was supposed to be the NATO Summit, but it quickly turned into a campaign speech during a presidential event. That’s a no-no, if anyone cares. The Q&A disaster The real trouble began when he took questions. First let’s note that he had pre-approved reporters with pre-approved questions, so it isn’t like they were hostiles. (Although a couple of rogue reporters did manage to yell over the others and get more thought-provoking questions addressed.) It seemed to me and some of the folks I was watching with that Biden was pausing to listen to someone yapping at him in an earpiece before answering. There’s no evidence, just some weird pauses and averted eyes. Despite his preparations for this, his answers were rambling and littered with errors. For crying out loud, he even called President Trump his vice presidential running mate!  He included his trademark creepy whispers and even a moment of outright shouting about guns. Even the MSM that covered for the man for years is calling out this epic disaster. The Atlantic called it “Biden’s Heartbreaking Press Conference.” CNN talked about his “false and misleading claims.” He adamantly expressed his refusal to step aside even though all the pre-arranged questions were about his capability to govern over the next four years. He isn’t going unless they cart him out, was the message I received. Biden doesn’t seem to be aware of any of the calls for him to step down. It really seemed as though he was blithely oblivious to the growing symphony of calls for him to drop out of the race. Perhaps he’s being protected from that, sort of like you wouldn’t want to show a child something that would hurt his feelings? It’s positively bizarre how the President has been infantilized during his very public demise. The people propping him up should be ashamed of themselves. Who could legally replace Biden on the ballot? Of course, the Democrats have gotten themselves between a rock and a hard place now. By waiting as long as they have, they can’t just go pick a new candidate from their pool of eager politicians. Biden is already the official candidate on the ballots in enough states that it would be virtually impossible for him to make up those electoral votes. As well, the $91 million campaign coffer would have to be refunded to donors who may or may not re-donate to a new candidate. The only choice they have left legally is Kamala Harris, who polls even worse against Trump than an increasingly decrepit Biden. Unless they rapidly – and I mean fast – rewrite the election laws of this country, the candidate will be Biden or Harris. Where to watch If you missed it and want to see an hour-long train wreck, you can view the entire press conference below. What were your thoughts? If you watched, what did you think of Biden’s performance? Was it better or worse than expected? Let’s discuss this ongoing disaster in the comments section. About Daisy Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews. Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter. The post Biden’s Bizarre “Big Boy” Press Conference appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

Does anybody remember the gentle days of political humor when Johnny Carson was the King of Late Night? Today’s late-night environment is largely a nasty gang of hardened leftists (with Jimmy Fallon being the closest to the Carson model). A new Media Research Center study by Alex Christy found the political tilt of guests (with a political opinion) over a nine-month period was 137 to 8, or 94%, liberal. That would also suggest the tone of the hosts when they have politics on the brain. In the fervid public dispute over whether President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance should cause him to quit the campaign, the comedians are not-so-subtly suggesting they are on Team Quit. “It’s not for me to say,” but get out. Let’s start with Jon Stewart, king of the new snarky late-night landscape. Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that if he lost, he’ll know he did his “goodest” to beat former President Donald Trump. Stewart shot back: “That is not what this is about! There are no participation trophies in ‘endgame democracy.’ Yes, I remember FDR saying, ‘Well, if the Nazis take over Europe, at least both teams had fun.'” The Trump-equals-Hitler bit is a constant. Trump’s daughter converted to Judaism, and his policies were very pro-Israel. It’s pretty wild stuff from Jon Leibowitz “Stewart,” the guy who once hosted what he called a “Rally to Restore Sanity.” He failed. NBC’s Seth Meyers also offered a wild-eyed lecture on how Biden isn’t good enough. “A wildly dangerous criminal and pathological liar is leading a radical movement to dismantle American democracy and he’s within striking distance,” he said. So “it would be nice to have a Democratic candidate who could competently articulate those stakes, instead of whatever the hell this was.” Meyers couldn’t handle Biden’s promise to do fewer events after dark and get more rest: “If you truly believe American democracy is at stake, and it is, then you have to act like it. You can’t claim to be the last bulwark against fascism and also have a ‘more sleep’ plan.” On CBS, Stephen Colbert complained, “Biden’s shakiness allowed Trump to get away with 90 minutes of lies, racism, and weird golf brags, which is why a lot of people are saying this was the worst debate performance of all time.” In an interview with CNN host Abby Phillip, Colbert asked why there should be any debates. Naturally, the journalist thought there should be debates. Colbert shot back: “Why? You know he’s going to lie and the other guy is the president of the United States, who should not be dignifying this criminal who tried to overthrow democracy and does not believe in the process.” This is today’s anti-Trump fervor. Democracy is best served when debates aren’t held. Colbert later concluded Biden is displaying a battle of two virtues, perseverance and self-sacrifice. “And self-sacrifice takes a particular kind of courage, and that is a courage I believe Joe Biden is capable of.” Keep hope alive, Steve. Since Jimmy Kimmel took the summer off at ABC, this week’s fill-in host Kathryn Hahn proclaimed: “I would vote for a skeleton over Donald Trump. In fact, I may literally be voting for a skeleton over Donald Trump.” Behind all this nastiness is sincerity. The “comedians” aren’t striking a pose to play the rebel. These people really believe their own spiels about democracy ending if they lose. But just because they’re sincere doesn’t mean they don’t sound like they need medication. They don’t get to lecture the rest of us about having a calm grip on reality and a reasonable view on what happens next in America. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Late-Night Comedians Line Up With the Dump-Biden Democrats appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Biden's Presser Extends Dem Nightmare

Life in the Stone Age was hard enough without a bunch of ghosts hanging out inside your skull and messing with your brain. Fortunately, ancient neurosurgeons had a cure for haunted heads, leaving thousands of patients with enormous exit holes – some up to 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) wide – drilled into their noggins.Known as trepanation, the practice of boring a hole into the skull was a common surgical procedure in prehistoric times, with examples discovered at archaeological sites around the world. After analyzing the cavities in 41 Neolithic crania from France, the authors of a new study have shed new light on the nature of this crude procedure, revealing just how invasive and un-subtle it really was.Housed at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, the skulls examined by the researchers were between 8,000 and 4,000 years old, and were among 159 in the collection that showed signs of having been trepanned. Using a digital caliper, the study authors measured the width of these surgical openings, revealing that the average trepanation was between 2.95 and 5.43 centimeters wide (1.16 to 2.14 inches). However, while even the lower end of this range might sound like an unacceptably large puncture in one’s bonce, the researchers report that some of the holes exceeded 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) in width. And yet, despite the obvious drawbacks associated with a broken skull, the majority of ancient trepanations worldwide show signs of healing, suggesting that most patients did actually survive for some time after their surgery.“The high survival rate, despite the danger of cerebral edema, infection, hemorrhage, and shock, is a clear indication of the high level of skill and experience of these early surgeons who performed the trepanation,” write the study authors. It has been suggested, for instance, that Neolithic doctors may have sterilized their stone tools before digging into patients’ skulls, while plants with natural painkilling or antibiotic properties may have been used to help trepanees overcome their ordeal.Exactly why trepanation was so popular in prehistory is not clear, although some scholars believe the procedure may have been performed to relieve intracranial pressure caused by injury or pathology - as, indeed, it still is today in rare cases. On the other hand, legendary 19th-century neurologist and anthropologist Paul Broca speculated that the practice may have been linked to the belief that seizures were caused by demons who needed to be released by opening holes in the skull.Whatever possessed Stone Age physicians to carve chunks out of their patients’ heads, trepanation represents an intriguing experimental step on humanity’s path towards surgical proficiency. As such, the study authors say their new insights are “very important in trying to understand the origin of today's neurosurgery by tracing its earliest steps.”The study is published in the journal World Neurosurgery.

In an enchanting display of musical synergy, a parrot named Tico, vocalist Lisa Rott, and guitarist Frank Maglio come together to perform Bob Dylan’s classic “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” This unique trio captivates audiences with a performance that blends human and avian talents in a seamless and harmonious way. Their rendition of the iconic song... The post Bird hears owners sing “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” and upstages everyone with his voice appeared first on Animal Channel.